Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[Teila]

That just sounds crazy Teila! I had enough dramas integrating 2 in and everyone else was getting along! Can't imagine it:/

It is meant to get above 40 degrees here today. I am so worried about the girls. My Sussex doesn't cope well at all with it and the feizzle isn't far behind. I have put out a frozen 2L bottle in the covered run for each of them as well as lunchbox ice bricks in the nest boxes and ice in the waterers. The bedding has been wet down and everyone is looking good at the moment. Anything else I should do??

Yeah, it is a bit on the crazy side smhoekzema, funnily enough, I had less dramas when I introduced LuLu (Frizzle) to the flock and she was a total newbie!

LuLu did not cope well the other week during the hot spell we had; might be a Frizzle-thing

Anyways, in addition to the above, if they have a favourite spot in the shade, either outside or in the run, maybe damp it down; I have learnt that they like to keep cool by laying in the damp earth. Also, satay (or is it Sam) has a sprinkler going in the run to help keep them cool. I have a mister set up for those extremely hot days.

Another couple of things to try are frozen vegies in water; Fancy reckons not only does it keep them cool, it takes their minds off the heat. I always have watermelon on hand for those hot days to aid with hydration.

Otherwise, just keep a close eye on them, which it sounds like you are doing, and frequent changes of water.

My gals do not like being wet but I have a friend on another thread and her Blue Cochin hen likes to stand in a bowl of water when it gets too hot ... I have asked her for photos

I hope all goes well for you and your chickens today.

 

[Teila]

Good luck Teila! I'm quite thankful that Snowy can run so fast & that my fat austrolorp is too lazy to put much effort into chasing her. That sounds really stressful.
I think I'm winning on breaking Hedwig. It's been a month & she is starting to spend more time off the nest and roosts if I remove the nest box.

I'm also wondering how long before the babies stop cheeping for mum constantly? Will they do this at their new homes?

Thank you cwrite

Part of my problem is that while Tina and LuLu will run away if they need to Blondie does not; I think she just does not realise that her ranking on the pecking list may have changed

Anyway, we have a Plan B, hubby is going to go out and supervise while I do the housework and he will intervene if necessary. Rightly so, he believes I am maybe just a bit too emotional about the whole thing and while he loves them also, he will not intervene as quickly as I would while still making sure no-one gets hurt.

Sorry I cannot help you with how long before the babies will stop cheeping for mum at their new homes. The youngest chicken I have bought into the flock was 3 months old and while still peeping, she was not suffering separation anxiety.

Hopefully someone else may be able to answer that one.

 

[appps]

Hope your day goes better today @Teila

Plan b of just putting the bantams back together first is going much better. They are wandering like old times with just the odd remember your place peck at mum penny. Baby pepper they are pretty much watching but ignoring.

I am wondering if it's also going better this time because penny is acting how she used to with them. Before all this they would peck and she would duck and run a few steps and everyone was happy because she knew her place at the bottom. My first try at putting them back she was obviously a lot more hormonal and stood up to no.1 and no.2 in the flock who are also twice her size which I think made them think she was challenging their positions thus the fighting.

Are yours still acting protective Teila and so not ducking and running when they should and so sending the message they are trying to jump up the pecking order? Hopefully when everyone's hormones get back to normal so will your flock

 

[cwrite]

I'm trying to sex my chicks so any input will be really appreciated. I really want to move the boys on before they start crowing because my neighbours have been very tolerant of having the chickens so close to their house. I'm also finding pea combs hard to read, maybe because they all seems to have some pink on them already at six week, apart from one chick that had weird feathers.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/938664/what-gender-are-these-6-weeks-old-australian-araucanas

Thanks for the feedback on the apples. I think I'll see which fallen ones ripen, but they may be better off in the compost. If it was ripe apples falling I wouldn't think twice about giving them to the chooks. : )

 

[cwrite]

@Ashburnham I just remembered that you have heaps of Araucanas. Perhaps you could give me some general advice on sexing Ara's? Does redness at 6 weeks indicate roo? I'm not sure that mine are standard aras (or will develop perfect pea combs), but some have tiny bumps and some have redness, but no comb bump. It's like the skin has just gone red. I really have no idea what that means. My only hen without a single comb is Hedwig and I thought for ages that there was something wrong with her because she just had a stripe of skin on her head. Lol. I know a bit more now, but not much, certainly not enough to be sure of my guesses.

 

[Ashburnham]

@Ashburnham I just remembered that you have heaps of Araucanas. Perhaps you could give me some general advice on sexing Ara's? Does redness at 6 weeks indicate roo? I'm not sure that mine are standard aras (or will develop perfect pea combs), but some have tiny bumps and some have redness, but no comb bump. It's like the skin has just gone red. I really have no idea what that means. My only hen without a single comb is Hedwig and I thought for ages that there was something wrong with her because she just had a stripe of skin on her head. Lol. I know a bit more now, but not much, certainly not enough to be sure of my guesses.

What age are they? Yes- size of comb and redness can indicate males. Look for general overall larger bodies, thicker longer legs, bigger feet. And of course thin, pointy feathers developing on neck and. base of tail
They are very difficult and sometimes will "change sex" right at point of lay.

xxxxx M

 

[cwrite]

What age are they? Yes- size of comb and redness can indicate males. Look for general overall larger bodies, thicker longer legs, bigger feet. And of course thin, pointy feathers developing on neck and. base of tail
They are very difficult and sometimes will "change sex" right at point of lay.

xxxxx M

Oh great - I was hoping to move the boys along before they crowed! They are 6 weeks old and all but one have some red. There is quite a difference between their sizes, body shape and legs. If they take up to 9 months to mature it looks like I might be in for a long wait or be unable to avoid the odd crower. They are too young to have their pointy neck feathers yet so it looks like a bit more waiting for me. Next time, a long time away, I'm not putting so many eggs under a broody hen for sure. I feel a bit over run with small birds atm.

 

[IamSamSam]

Also look at the way they stand more upright with thick legs and redder comb is a indication

 

[cwrite]

Thanks Ash and Sam. I'm just going to have to be patient. At least more may be pullets if redness isn't definitely a roo at 6 weeks. I saw one raise it's neck feathers during a scuffle today - definitely a roo. I've never seen my hens do that!

 

[Teila]

An update on The Feathered & The Feisty!

If you recall, last episode, we dropped the curtain on the whole cast locked in their separate dressing rooms.

Opening scene this morning, lots of jumping on each others backs and pulling of feathers! Pretty much where we left off yesterday.

Enter Mr $4 Water Pistol from Big-W!

Good thing I am typing because I am speechless. A quick shot with the water pistol on the rump of anyone being over aggressive and by lunch time we were reduced to a bit of vocalising and pecking. Vocalising and pecking I can handle; no-one is trying to kill anyone!

Up until lunch time Cilla was throwing her weight around also but the water pistol worked a treat!

Within a couple of hours we only had to pick the water pistol up and whoever was looking like the aggressor had a change of heart.

As I type, Dusty, LuLu and Blondie are mooching around the lawn together. Tina and the bubs have gone to bed and Cilla is having another shot at being broody! While I thought I had her broken, I swear she takes one looks at Tina’s bubs and goes broody again!!

Anyways, while everyone is still not going to sleep together tonight, we have made huge progress .. if I hadn’t seen it myself, I would not have believed it!

I am a very happy chicken mumma who just spent the past hour and half just sitting in the garden watching her gals play nice.

PS. I am convinced Spot is a boy and I am just waiting for him to crow before finding him a home. He is 9 weeks old today and bless his little heart, when Cilla got too close to his mum he took her on! OK, he ran away peeping but he gave her a peck!